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MEDICINAL PLANTS FROM GREENHOUSES COLLECTION "AL. BUIA"
BOTANICAL GARDEN (NOTE II)
BORUZ VIOLETA, CRUCERU SONIA
Keywords: medicinal plants, greenhouses, Botanical Garden
ABSTRACT
In the paper are presented the medicinal plants from the greenhouses collection of
Botanical Garden "Al. Buia” from the University of Craiova. The species existing in the
collection are better known as ornamental plants than as medicinal plants. These taxa with
ornamental and medical value were obtained largely through the exchange of plant
material between the Botanical Garden and other similar institutions.
INTRODUCTION
Botanical Gardens have an important role in
ex situ
conservation of collections of
living plants, as a precaution against loss of species or natural genetic resources. Existing
plants in collections need to be known in all aspects. From the collection Botanical Garden
greenhouses were selected main taxa that have therapeutic properties. Some of them
were presented in Note I (Boruz & Cruceru 2013), and Note II is a continuation of the list
previous presented.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Medicinal plants in the collection are presented in a table in alphabetical order, as
follows: scientific name and family specified for each taxon, vernacular names,
geoelement, plant part(s) used for therapeutic purposes, medical uses and observations
(phenological data, and where appropriate if any precautions in the use of plants for
medical purposes). For identification and nomenclature modern speciality literature has
been used.
Nomenclature is presented according to international databases (The Plant List,
GRIN).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
In the table 1 are presented frequent usages of medicinal plants in greenhouses
collection:
Table 1
The medicinal plants identified in the collection greenhouses
Taxon name (Family name)
Vernacular names
Geoelement Medical uses / Pharmacological aspects
Plant part(s)
used
Observations
Acalypha hispida Burm. f. (Euphorbiaceae)
Chenille plant, Red- cattail, Philippine-medusa
Tropical Asia, Australia
Decoction of leaves and flowers taken internally as laxative, diuretic and for gonorrhea. Bark root used for pulmonary problems.
Extract of leaves was evaluated for phytochemical, cytotoxic and antibacterial activities (Bokshi et al., 2012)
Leaves, flower, root
Flourished. Poisonous plant
Allamanda schottii Pohl (Apocynaceae)
Dwarf golden trumpet, Bush allamanda
Southern America
Anti-proliferative effect (Anderson et al., 1988)
The root extract
Flourished
Aristolochia elegans Mast.
Calico- flower
Southern America
Antibacterial, antiprotozoal, anti HIV activities
(Jiménez-Leaves, roots,
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(Aristolochiaceae) Arellanes et al., 2012) seeds fructified. Poisonous plant Aucuba japonica Thunb. (Cornaceae) Japanese- laurel, Spotted- laurel Asia-Temperate
Anti-inflammatory, microbial, algesic and anti-tumor activities (Kim et al., 2014)
Leaves Has not flourished
Brugmansia arborea (L.) Lagerh. (Solanaceae)
Angel ́́̉’s- trumpet
Southern America
Aphrodisiac activity, Anti Oxidant activity (used externally as aqueous extract);
Hallucinogenic (Ferreira-Júnior, 2010)
Leaves Flourished
Callistemon lanceolatus (Sm.) Sweet (Myrtaceae) Crimson bottlebrush South-eastern Australia
Anti- inflammatory (Kumar et al., 2011), antifungal, antioxidant, antithrombin, antidiabetic, antimicrobial and herbicidal activities (Das & Singh 2012)
Leaves, flowers and seeds Has not flourished Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don
(Apocynaceae)
Madagascar periwinkle, bright-eyes
Madagascar The sap is extremely toxic.
Antioxidant and antidiabetic (Tiong et al., 2013),
antimicrobial activity (Patil & Gosh, 2010), anticancer
activities (Widowati et al., 2013)
Leaves, stem, root and flower Flourished and fructified Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Rumph. ex A. Juss. (Euphorbiaceae) Variegated croton Southern India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia
Treatment of epilepsy (Moshi & Kagashe, 2004)
Leaves Flourished
Costus afer Ker- Gawl. (Zingiberaceae) Bush cane, Ginger-lili, Spiral-ginger Senegal, east to Ethiopia, Angola
Antimicrobial (Akpan et al., 2012)
Leaves Flourished
Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig (Zingiberaceae) White ginger- lily, cinnamon-jasmine, butterfly-ginger, butterfly-lily The Himalayas region of Nepal and India
The seed is aromatic,
carminative and stomachic, the root is antirheumatic, excitant and tonic, the ground rhizome is used a febrifuge. An essential oil from the roots is carminative and antihelmintic (Van Thanh et al., 2014) Seeds, root, rhizome Flourished Hibiscus rosa- sinensis L. (Malvaceae) China-rose, Chinese hibiscus Tropical Asia
Flowers –decoction given in bronchial catarrh, infusion of petals is a refrigerant drink in fever, useful in cystitis. The leaves – anodyne, emollient; cooling, astringent, remove burning of the body, urinary discharges; Various parts of this plant, like leaves, flowers and roots, have been known to possess medicinal
properties like aphrodisiac, menorrhagia, oral
contraceptive, laxative etc. (Kumar & Singh, 2012)
Flowers, leaves Flourished Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) Big sage, Wild sage Central and South America
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Myrsine africanaL.
(Myrsinaceae)
African- boxwood
Africa,
Asia-Temperate,
Asia-Tropical
The aerial parts of plant are found to possess anti-tumor, purgative, anti-fertility,
antihelmintic and antimicrobial (Abbhi et al., 2011)
Aerial parts
Has not flourished
Murraya exotica L. (Rutaceae)
Orange- jasmine, Mock orange
Tropical Asia: India, Southern China, Taiwan, Thailand
The leaves and root bark are sometime used to treat rheumatism, and hysteria. The leaves are stimulant and astringent used in the form on an infusion to treat diarrhea and dysentery (Gautam & Goel, 2012). The methanol extract of leaves of traditionally used was evaluated for possible cytotoxic, thrombolytic and antioxidant (Khatun et al., 2014)
Leaves and root
Flourished and fructified
Nerium oleander L.
(Apocynaceae)
Oleander, Rose bay, Rose laurel
Northern Africa, eastern Mediterran ean basin and Southeast Asia
The leaf is used as a cardiotonic, diuretic, anti-bacterial in
cutaneous eruptions, and is also effective
against snake-bites; the root is used for
curing different types of cancers, ulcers and
leprosy (Singhal & Gupta, 2011); Hepatoprotective and
antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of flowers (Singhal & Gupta, 2012); The flowers, leaves, juice or latex, bark and roots have been used against corns, warts, cancerous ulcers, carcinoma ulcerating or hard tumors (Adome et al., 2003)
Leaves, flowers, roots
If ingested the stem or leaves and/or Nerium extracts are consumed or ingested in high enough quantities it is toxic.
Ochna serrulata (Hochst.) Walp. (Ochnaceae)
Carnival Ochna; Mickey Mouse bush
South Africa
Antibacterial (Makhafola & Eloff, 2012)
Leaves Flourished and fructified
Pittosporum undulatum Vent. (Pittosporaceae)
Sweet Pittosporum, Australian cheesewood, Orange-berry pittosporum
Eastern Australia
Anti-inflamatory and antitumoral (Sadgrove & Jones 2013)
Fruits Flourished and fructified
